Highway, Tomson "Kiss of the Fur Queen"

Highway, Tomson "Kiss of the Fur Queen" - 1998

After a couple of pages, it was the first time that I would have liked to throw this book away. But it was a book for our international online book club and I hoped it would get better. It didn't.

I am not the biggest fan of all those mystical stories but I thought this might be interesting. It wasn't. And the worst bit, the author had a terrible style of organizing his writing, he was jumping from one part to the next without any warning or any connection between the parts. And I'm not prude but could have done without the detailed description of sexual abuse, violence and gay activities.

But I seem to have been the only one with such a strong reaction. Here are remarks from the group:

• Kiss of the Fur Queen is considered a semi-autobiographical novel. In his 2021 memoir 'Permanent Astonishment' Tomson Highway recounts the early years of his life with his younger brother Rene Highway. (1954-1990)
• Comment: This absolutely makes perfect sense. I did not look it up, but felt there was real history behind much of the story, and very well researched, if not all personal experiences.
• I had mixed feelings about Kiss of the Fur Queen, but overall I am glad I read it. The story follows two Cree brothers from northern Canada from somewhere around 1950s into the late 1980s. Through their lives, the book shows the effects of the Canadian residential school system and the pressure placed on Indigenous people to abandon their language, culture, and traditions.
• What interested me most was learning about Cree culture, mythology, and traditional stories. I enjoy reading about different cultures and legends, and this was something I knew very little about before reading the book. The mysterious Fur Queen character and the mythological elements gave the story a unique atmosphere. At the same time, I appreciated the deeper themes of identity, faith, culture, and how people cope with trauma. The brothers are caught between Cree traditions and Christianity, and I thought the novel explored this conflict in a powerful way.
• The writing is often beautiful, especially the descriptions of nature, dreams, and traditional stories. At the same time, this is a very dark novel. Much of the story deals with abuse, violence, loss, and the long-lasting effects of trauma. There were parts that I found difficult to read. However, I do not think these elements were included only for shock value. They are connected to real historical experiences, which makes them important to the story, even when they are uncomfortable.
• This is not an easy book, and I can understand why some readers may dislike it because of the difficult subject matter. In some places I felt the focus on suffering was overwhelming. At the same time, I think the novel offers an important perspective that many of us outside Canada may not know much about. For me, it was a valuable read because it combined history, culture, mythology, and personal stories in a memorable way.

There you have it, some people were glad they had read this. I didn't.

Book Description:

"Born into a magical Cree world in snowy northern Manitoba, Champion and Ooneemeetoo Okimasis are all too soon torn from their family and thrust into the hostile world of a Catholic residential school. Their language is forbidden, their names are changed to Jeremiah and Gabriel, and both boys are abused by priests.

As young men, estranged from their own people and alienated from the culture imposed upon them, the Okimasis brothers fight to survive. Wherever they go, the Fur Queen--a wily, shape-shifting trickster--watches over them with a protective eye. For Jeremiah and Gabriel are destined to be artists. Through music and dance they soar."